Behrle NYC- Now CarlaDawnBehrleNYC.com

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Fall looks incredible - we made up styles from the line in special order colors and they are out of this world!

What a difference color makes!

And not just color- since I showed none of these styles in straight out black, but simply a change of color.

This is why I love doing custom made and special order - there is no way we could sample the range of colors I offer.

Working in leather is way different than working in fabric. First off we work in square feet- not in linear yards- the average linear yard is 11.25 sq feet (45" wide). Cutting in leather... to utilize the grain and avoid the flaws, the industry considers a 30% loss normal so that's about 15 square feet of leather to one yard of 45" wide cloth. Put simply, leather easily costs 15X more than fabric since the per foot cost equals and usually exceeds the per yard cost of a decent fabric.

Right there that limits my samples!

In some cases you can get a higher loss - leather is a natural fiber so you can get a lot that is full of flaws & very hard to cut - table cutting is like a puzzle and a poor quality lot makes it a nasty one. Not only do you loose yield , but it also takes a great deal longer to cut the same garment.

'cuse me, but ... leather is an entirely different animal!

When I offer colors in leather- they work- feel secure & we'll get the world (well mostly NYC :) past black!!!

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

This blog will no longer be updated on anything remotely resembling a regular basis.
Our new Blog now lives on the new site like it is supposed to! Yippee!

I want to Thank Dave Rooney of Zava Design for making it all possible. He's been great! I highly recommend him! Also I want to thank to Phillip Wong for the amazing (AMAZING) photography & Karen Fleisch for all her help in getting the line together as well as Erin Laessle & Mary Banker who have been assisting with so much other stuff it cannot even begin to fit here.

Monday, February 6, 2012

I am just not the sports fan everybody thinks I am... I missed the Giants big win. Seriously.

So, while I will congratulate them on their win, I can't help but find it sad and hypocritical that NYC can put together and pay for a parade in 2 days flat for a very wealthy, well paid & subsidized sports team (that plays in New Jersey) and refuses a parade for Iraq Vets.

Have any of these guys put their life on the line or sacrificed one iota of what every Iraq vet has given, as a matter of course, to this country?

Mayor Bloomberg cites concerns about televised images of a "Victory Parade"... really? I missed that news...

What about a "Welcome Home and Thank You for Everything" Parade? Iraq vets certainly deserve both the honor & the investment.

Sunday, December 11, 2011

How to explain what is driving me and moves me for Fall 2012?
It's a love story and an adventure story. More specifically it is the spirit of the woman at the heart of the story that inspires me...

A trailblazer and adventurer who follows her heart, instincts and dreams. A woman who can hold her own in unexpected situations, strengthening the foundation of anything she is involved in. Secure in herself, she always looks forward.

Friday, December 2, 2011

In the last few months I've seen a few blips in the echosphere that I found quite entertaining as well as something to think about.

I guess it was in the fall when I saw something about a leather covered Ferrari. Cool idea, lots of negative comments. Regarding: cleaning, scratching, water, etc.etc. etc. (with a couple of smart people saying if it's leather, water shouldn't be a problem- cows live outside and get wet- no big deal-they are on it!)

foiled "leather" car

That is if it were REAL leather. Nah- it's not, it's basically a fancy decal. and a poor one at that- weird grain, with poor and very visible repeat (ask a textile designer) even in far shots. Nice idea, poor execution.

My fantasy is that one day they could build that prototype car that had the movable skin- remember that? Was that about 2-3 years ago? The skin would be LEATHER...that's my fantasy.

fantasy leather car

Stretch leather today is not quite there. It's one way stretch and not quite enough return. I saw stretch "leather" goods out of China a while back that stretched equally 2 ways! (real leather does not quite do that!) It was leather - but weirdly re-constituted. The effect was that of Cher's face -no offense to Cher - but we are talking leather here- so what I want is REAL. Maybe 15 years ago I saw a US (Washington State?) tannery making washable skins that could stretch like that, if you ordered that finish. No Lycra backing, Where are they now???

I hate to think of the chemicals and effort that went into creating that weird leather perfection from China. But I guess if I were into weird leather perfection, I'd be into latex.

We have been happily buried in work. Which, by the by, is why I haven't been here much lately!

Yesterday, we did an event with SkinMedica for a very select group of beauty editors to announce the launch of a brand new SkinMedica product, which will be released sometime in April.

Pre-Event

I can't tell you the name of the product or what it does, except that it does tie in with what I do, which is... perfect skin! The color theme of the event was pink as you can tell by the very pretty room it was held in. (I will say the tested results of the product were very, very impressive. )

The mood was very intimate and relaxed. Very refreshing and non- rushed and it gave the editors a much deserved moment of chill, very different from what most might associate with a "launch".

So yesterday was spent, (very enjoyably out of the studio for a change!) fitting editors for their own perfect custom leather piece!

My little rack of sample & fitting garments

Sleek leather pencil skirts, with a open vent and bright gold (but not exposed- just a hint) zips, were the big hit, followed by a sexy low back peplum top, again with a gold zip - this time exposed. Black (of course) followed by mahogany, cognac and grape.

We hope to have photos of these new styles up soon- on the Blog, so check back soon! & Thank yous to Josie and Chrissy!

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Everything on the internet is s-l-o-w right now. Not sure what that is about - but I feel like I'm on dial up- no kidding. (bad flashbacks to 1999 in the freezing cold shop) OK- that was fun ... but you do remember what that was like?

I have been on here less and less lately as we have been busy developing the new line for Fall 2012. I have been sourcing some incredibly (insanely) beautiful leathers and the whole aesthetic of the line is being bumped up tremendously, it's very exciting.

Pattern making is a long and strenuous process here, it starts out like molasses- slow and sticky. The process of developing all new fit slopers is always somehow traumatic for me, even when the changes could be considered fairly subtle. What I do know is that they will step up the fit and final product yet another notch.

We are all such creatures of habit in our own ways, I stick to the familiar for as long as I feel comfortable and then - well- it's all gotta move - I tend to shift before I'm really consciously aware of "discomfort". It's an undeniable pull, and I often fight it. In the case of redeveloping fit - I am so picky and it does take me a bit to get into it- I create many, many multiples of variations before I am finally happy with the fit.

After that- comes the styles. I was organizing the studio Friday and realized I had at least 5 muslin phases for one (very deceptively) simple dress. I did not want to count further. It may be a minor William Ware Theiss moment- but for production- big difference. Check out the "Theiss Titillation Theory".

He was my design hero when I was a kid....really got me into it. I am forever indebted.

This is example of a muslin, not one from this line, but from a very special custom made project I did about 2 years ago.

fitting muslin for a custom made leather jumpsuit

Anyhow- now we are in the groove...new patterns are lining up daily on the rack -very soon to be luscious leather samples!

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

I saw Blondie the other nite- and I'm thinking about that song... and here I want to...I am dreaming of creating a couple jobs - no, scratch that- more than a couple. I want to build a high end manufacturing company, here- in the USA- in NYC to be specific. I want to employ skilled labor, and even more importantly TRAIN skilled labor. That is my dream. I am not interested in competing with China - why even go there? There are much, much better places to go.

Having (mis)placed our hopes (and too many eggs) into the Financial industries, what has come of it? What has been produced? What goods? What Productive jobs? Practical services? Any actual ability? (Besides pushing numbers around?) Can they build this? Or anyhing?

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Are you obsessed with fine finishing, fit and craftsmanship? Do you love to work with your hands? Does the attention to detail that you see only in fine quality vintage and couture fashion leave you in awe?

The skills we want to develop Immediately are:

Creative: This requires real hands on interest and skills, as well as a dedication to craft and a passion to learn and develop the techniques and discipline required to produce true luxury goods.

Applicants should be very organized and facile self-starters with strong spatial skills and an understanding of how various materials, hang, drape and mold. You must be able to operate an industrial sewing machine proficiently as you will primarily be assisting the designer and pattern maker in the development of samples, from the sourcing of materials to the muslin prototypes, fittings, and corrections. Ideal for Problem solvers who enjoy a challenge.

You will be asked to help in other areas as the need arises- this is a small company. However our goal is to find talent and train for ongoing positions.